Letter From the Editor
Dear Graduates,
As I sit down to write this letter, the first thought in my head is: “Wait…I’m about to graduate from college. That’s actually crazy.” In my last week at California State University, East Bay, it’s starting to sink in that this long-anticipated moment in my educational journey has finally arrived. Throughout my life, graduating from college seemed like something only people in movies and TV shows could achieve. But now I’m here, and so are you. We did it! Yay! While I’m happy to have reached this point, I also realize just how challenging it was to get here.
I entered CSUEB in fall 2021, at a time when the world was just starting to resurface from the hellish depths of the COVID-19 pandemic. Having to navigate the college environment and reconnect with peers in a post-COVID world felt strange, but it was a great challenge to begin my college journey. CSUEB’s ever-changing course offerings altered my pathway countless times, but that too was a challenge I overcame. I learned so much from every obstacle I encountered. I developed new skills, met new people, and finally began to feel confident in my abilities as a student and leader. To my family, friends, peers, professors, and mentors, thank you for helping me every step of the way.
The Pioneer also faced challenges over the past few years. At one point, there was no one working on the publication at all. No articles were being published. No awareness was being spread. No stories were being told. The Pioneer newsroom sat empty and dark. In spring 2025, a new staff rose to the challenge and brought The Pioneer back, and I was given the incredible opportunity — and daunting task — of continuing their work and leading the publication in the fall.
In August, my work as editor-in-chief began, and I was already faced with the challenge of assembling a new staff from the ground up. On top of never having been in a head leadership position up to that point, I felt very overwhelmed. Luckily, with help from my amazing faculty advisor, Kevin Pina, we were able to find strong, hardworking, and dedicated staff members whom I could not be more proud of. They were all open to learning the ways of journalistic writing and storytelling, and I was able to both teach them and learn alongside them. Over this past academic year, my staff and I revived The Pioneer, and set a strong foundation for it to soar to greater heights. Not only did they produce excellent work, but they also saw working for The Pioneer as a fresh challenge, much like I did.
I’m sure you all faced challenges of your own as well, whether it was a difficult class, living away from home, balancing schoolwork with a job, finding a job, losing a competition, getting enough sleep, family emergencies, car troubles, or your knee spontaneously giving out on you for some reason. Whatever it may be, I want you to think about the challenges you faced during your journey at CSUEB. Think about how you overcame those challenges, the people who helped you, what you gained or lost, and, especially, how those challenges shaped you into the person you are today.
Challenges may seem scary, but they’re ultimately a gift. Whether you realize it or not, you’ve learned a lot about yourself from the challenges you faced, and you’ve gained the skills and mindset needed to reach the next stage of your journey. I know I did, and I’m incredibly grateful and proud to say that I overcame my challenges as a Cal State East Bay Pioneer. As you and I prepare to leave this institution, we are about to step into a rapidly changing world and a highly competitive job market, all while pretending to not be anxious about any of it. But hey, that’s a new challenge too, isn’t it?
On behalf of the entire Pioneer staff, congratulations Class of 2026! You’ve already achieved so much, and you’re destined for even greater success — so long as you’re never afraid to accept a challenge.
With gratitude,
Chris McNicholas
Editor-in-Chief, The Pioneer (2025-2026)
